Only For Tonight
by Iilayah
Summary: AU What were to happen if Darien suddenly announced that he was leaving? Feelings might be realised, but can Serena stop him before its too late?


**Only For Tonight**

Serena sat there on the park bench, tears streaming down her face. The sun was slowly setting, sending shades of pink and orange through the trees of the park. It would have been quite a beautiful and relaxing sight if the nineteen year old hadn't been in the sad mood she was in. She probably would never find the sunsets in the park beautiful anymore. Not while he was gone. Not while he was out of her life. If only he didn't have to go. Then everything would be perfect. They would still be fighting like usual, but at least they would get to see each other. At least she would still have hope that he might actually feel the same.

Closing her eyes, she stifled a sob. It wouldn't be the same without him there teasing her, mocking her. The blonde haired beauty remembered the first day she had met him. To think, all of those years of fighting had begun with a simple test paper. It was ridiculous, but that was how it had begun, when she had failed another one of math test. A sad smile appeared on her lips. She had known that her mother would be angry at her, so she had crumpled it up and thrown it away. Unfortunately, she had been in public when she had done it and she hadn't been watching where she was throwing it. It had hit him and after that one of the most influential fights of her life happened; although she hadn't known it at the time.

She had been fourteen when she had met him. A stupid little girl who was naïve and innocent. She had been clumsy, she had been hopeless, she had been a typical fourteen year old. Over the years though she had grown. It was actually their fighting that had made her grow. Him constantly teasing her about her grades, her clumsiness and her unusual styled hair had made her want him to see that she wasn't really like that. So, she had changed from him. She had turned into a beautiful, graceful, smart young woman. But despite of all her efforts, he had still teased her. Even to this day he still called her meatball head, even though she hadn't worn her hair like that for years.

After she had changed though, there had been a tension between them. She had to admit, on her side it had started as lust. Serena had been a growing girl, so of course she would have those sorts of feelings. Ever since she was sixteen she had fantasized about what they could do. At that time she had still been innocent though, so her thoughts had usually consisted of them just kissing and that was it, but it eventually lead to them doing more than that. And as her fantasies had grown, so had her feelings for them and ever since he had announced that he was leaving, the nineteen year old was beginning to realize that her crush was so much more than that.

She hated it.

Licking her lips, she let out a sad sigh. 'And now I will never get to know if he and I could have been anything more than enemies,' she thought to herself. Running her hands through her silky hair, she pictured what he would be doing if he saw her like this. She just could imagine it. He would be teasing her, calling her a cry baby or something like that. The arrogant, good for nothing jerk!

Serena shivered as a cool breeze started to pick up. Looking at the sun, she realized that it was almost night. Putting her arms around herself, she figured that she should probably go home soon. The sudden cold breeze suggested that a storm was coming and she couldn't stand storms. She didn't want to go though. If she went home, she would have to put on her bubbly and happy act. If she didn't, her mother would drill her until the nineteen year old said what was bothering her. And she didn't want anyone to know just incase he found out.

Shaking her head, Serena punched the bench next to her. Her tears started to fall more heavily. "Why do you have to go? Why can't you just stay? Why!"

As soon as her outburst had ended, embarrassment set in and the teen cautiously looked around to see if anyone had been there. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one. Sniffing, she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, getting ready to go home. As soon as she had though, more filled their place. She wasn't going to stop. Not for a while.

"Stop this," She whispered to herself. "You should be happy that he is leaving. He has made your life miserable for how many years now? Now you are free! You don't have to listen to his insults, or see him with his girl of the week. You can live happily now…"

Why didn't it feel like she would be able to happy? It just didn't make any sense to her. Yes, she might be in love with him, but the nineteen year old could easily get over it. She was still young. There was still a lot of time for her to find someone and settle down. Plus, she hadn't even really experienced having fun yet. And with this thought in mind, she suddenly found a new determination. Nodding her head, she stood up and the pain in her chest worsened.

Putting a hand over her heart, she was about to sit back down when two strong arms slid around her waist. Serena immediately froze. Suddenly her thoughts of him turned into scared thoughts. Thoughts that suggested she was about to be raped. Thoughts that she was about to be kidnapped. She was about to whirl stamp on the person's foot to get out of his or her grip when she realized that the person wasn't holding her tightly. In fact, the person's touch was gentle.

Frowning, the blonde bit her bottom lip, wondering who it could be. Glancing down at the arms, she realized that they were male. Taking a deep breath, the immediate smell of roses filled her senses. His smell. It couldn't be him though. He wouldn't hold her so gently as if to comfort her. He also wouldn't press his lips against the back of her head like the man had done just then.

"You know, you wouldn't think it, but even when you cry you are beautiful…" A deep, smooth voice said. Serena breathed in and closed her eyes. It was him. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

Slowly turned around, she found herself staring into his deep blue eyes. Usually they were cold and mocking, but this time she could see concern in them. Slowly taking a step back, her eyes slowly looked over him. He was wearing his usual outfit, a pair of black pants and that ugly green jacket he loved. Just under that he was wearing a simple white shirt and Serena could just see the outline of the well built body he was supposed to have. Then she moved up to his handsome face. His midnight black hair was falling over his eyes, giving me a boyish look. It had always driven Serena crazy whenever he looked like that, because he looked so damn sexy.

But now was not the time to think those sort of thoughts.

It was then that she realized what he had just said a second ago and she frowned. Why would he say something like that? "Did you just say I was beautiful?"

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Yes, I did."

"Look…" He said. Serena watched, unsure what was going on as he face became all serious. "I just wanted to let you know that I am sorry for all of the teasing and insults over the years… I shouldn't have done it, but something just came over me every time I saw you… I just had to… Plus, you look so damn cute when you are angry…"

Serena gave him a puzzled look, then she looked at the ground. What was he doing? Why was he saying all this? Was it some kind of one last joke before he left? The tears really started to fall. She couldn't handle that. She really couldn't handle that. The blonde didn't want her last memory of him to be him pulling some sort of sick joke on her. She wouldn't let him do that to her. Looking back up at him, she glared and shook her head. She started to stalk off and suddenly found herself falling.

She had tripped over a rock, something she hadn't done in years.

A small gasped escaped her lips and she braced herself for the impact of the ground. Instead, she felt the warmth and firmness of a chest. Licking her lips, she looked up into Darien's eyes. Serena immediately saw the glint of hurt in them and felt guilty. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions a little too early. And with that thought, her tears started to fall even more heavily and she buried her head in his chest.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered in between sobs. "I just thought… I'm sorry…"

He put his arms fully around her and she immediately felt a little calmer as he started to stroke her hair. And they just stayed like that in silence. Eventually the feel of safety she seemed to feel in her arms calmed her down. And once she was about to control her sobs, Serena sniffed a little and then moved back a little and looked up into his eyes.

"Don't go…" She whispered, her eyes almost pleading with his.

He sighed and the nineteen year old saw something stir in his eyes. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about that emotion that she liked and wanted to see more of. And as soon as she saw it, she knew. She knew that now he wasn't going to go. The blonde wasn't exactly sure how she knew, but she just knew.

"If you say so… meatball head," He replied. A playful look suddenly overcame the emotion that she had seen and Serena couldn't help smile. Everything was going to be alright. Things were still going to be the way she had come to love them to be. He was still going to be her enemy, she could tell, but as she looked into eyes, she knew that because of tonight, everything was going to be different as well. And she had a feeling that it was going to be for the better.

OK, hello everyone! I am Iilayah and this is my first story here on I thought I might try a little short story just to see what people thought. It took about two hours to write and yeah. Who knows, if this goes really well, I might even write a chaptered story next. Anyway, please let me know what you think!


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